Kentucky’s Child Abuse Panel to Meet for First Time

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Kentucky’s child death and near death review panel will meet for the first time Monday since being mandated under new state law.

The panel had already begun work last year after being appointed by Gov. Steve Beshear through executive order. Chairman and retired judge Roger Crittenden says the group’s duties will remain nearly identical and it’ll continue reviewing 55 cases from fiscal year 2011.

The panel was created following media reports questioning the way the Cabinet for Health and Family Services handles child abuse cases.

Crittenden says the panel is responsible for producing an annual report that may include some recommendations.

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“One of the things is the reporting process and it appears from reading through the case files, there’s not really a standardized format for investigation or reporting. Now there may be but it doesn’t appear that way,” he says,

The 17-member panel consists of appointed government and non-governmental individuals. Although considered an external team, it remains housed in the Justice Cabinet for administrative purposes.